Hiding But Not Completely Hidden

Peaking through the leaves, originally uploaded by Jen Joynt.

People often ask me why I love owls so much. I find my owl obsession a little hard to explain. Part of it is the mysterious nature of owls. They are out there, but you rarely see them. And they often seem to see you. Sometimes, when I am trying to locate an owl but not finding it, the owl will fly out of the exact tree I was looking in. The owl saw me the whole time, but I had never seen it, until it flew.

Last week, I had the good fortune to see the cute Saw-Whet Owl perched in the same tree from my previous post. I have gone out numerous times and not seen the owl in this tree, and I had worried that it would not return. Now that Spring has sprung, the tree has a bit more foliage. The owl is pretty well hidden, especially from above, but you can still get a decent view of the owl from the front of the tree.

I had a lovely time watching the owl, who barely paid any attention to me. The only time I saw the owl get excited was when a jay starting screaming a little ways off. The owl opened up her/his eyes wide and watched for a few seconds before returning to relaxation.


I eventually tore myself away from watching the sweet owl. And on my way back to my car, I noticed some pretty wildflowers. Another lovely day in Tilden Park.